July 27: Happy Birthday, Rahul Bose! Reasons Why We Love Him…

I know I harp on about a certain Rahul [PROOF: here, here, here, here, here, here and here :-)], BUT, there’s another one I adore *almost* as much (Sorry, Mr Bose!). I’m sure there’s a “Rahul Bose Appreciation Society” somewhere out there. SO, what’s a better occasion than today, on his birthday, to flick through the reasons why we think he’s such a fine, fine speci-man. Hop on!

His film choices…

Some of his critically acclaimed films…

He was hilarious in this one…

And this…

As General Zulfikar in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children…

I admire him ever so much for this! In a career that spans almost 18 years, he’s always done films that speak to his sensibilities ‒ nothing more or nothing less. I find it to be a travesty of sorts that he’s not as universally hailed as an actor as his acting chops deserve to be… I mean, he’s such a natural in front of the camera! Yep, yep, yep, you’ve guessed it right: he’s one of my fave actors ever, and defo my fave Indian actor. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that his portrayal of General Zulfikar in the early awaited Midnight’s Children changes all that.

My fave film of his…

BUT, having been immersed in the banking/finance world for almost 6 years now, I still can’t bloody figure out what sort of a “financial advisor” he was in Chameli :-@ Was he an M&A banker, was he in equity/FICC sales, was he a private banker ‒ whaaaat?? Yep, it does my head in every time I catch the film on TV.

His social conscience…

The Foundation…

Commendable, right?

Marathon man…

He puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to social causes. Through his charity organisation The Foundation, he sponsors a bunch of underprivileged children, combats illiteracy and raises awareness of child sexual abuse, amongst other noble deeds. Just name any social cause, you’ll find him actively participating in it. Honestly, he has his fingers everywhere when it comes to doing good for people. Not least, he’s never one to shy away from speaking his mind on political issues ‒ and most often than not, I find myself agreeing with him.

His sense of humour…

LOOOOVE his self-deprecating humour!

Here’s the Bada & Chota Colagte… :-)

Witty, no?

My. Fave. Tweets.

I suppose it has to do with the name, ‘cos like the other Rahul, he too has been blessed with some funny bones. Sometimes wry, sometimes self-effacing, but always smile-invoking, I find.

His way with words…

@RahulBose1

Again, like the other one, I’m convinced he has the bloomin’ Oxford English Dictionary memorised in his head, ‘cos he sure knows how to play around with them. But I do wish he would tweet using correct capitalization!!!

His sense of modesty…

@RahulBose1

Michael Eisner, the ex-Walt Disney CEO, once said something along the lines of: you’re never as good as what people tell you to be and you’re never as bad as you think you are, which I think couldn’t be more true. SO, it’s great to see Rahul not indulge in vapid retweets of praises of himself.

His love for sports…

@RahulBose1

Cheering on for Mumbai Indians… !

I feel there’s no love as unadulterated as this one. Yeah, I’m a massive sports fan, which is why I love Mr Bose that extra little bit… :-D

His sense of style…

Very stylish, no?

Phwoooar!

Of course I find him exceedingly handsome, receding hairline or not, but it is the way he presents himself to the world that has me ooooh-ing. Yeah, just like the other Rahul (and the photographer Atul Kasbekar), more often than not you’ll find him appropriately and elegantly dressed (yes, yes, yes, he did pass my ultimate criterion: 8 out of 10 times, his dress pants are of the right length :-D)